Abstracted loom heddles

Eszter Haraszty was head of Knoll’s textile division from 1950 to 1955. She also served as color consultant to Knoll Associates, and frequently collaborated with Herbert Matter on the company’s promotional materials. Her strong color sense had a major impact on the ‘Knoll Look,’ as she moved the company away from the earth tones popular at the time and developed a coordinated palette of bright, clear colors across the entire textile line.

Fibra was one of Knoll's most successful print designs, and it remained in production for sixteen years. It was selected for MoMA's Good Design exhibition in 1953, and won the American Institute of Decorators first award for printed fabrics in 1954. To create the design, Haraszty asked photographer Erich Hartmann to photograph the wire heddles of Knoll designer Evelyn Hill’s loom. The photos were enlarged and edited to create loom-width repeat. Printed in her vivid color combinations, the design became abstracted and bold.